Peaks challenge sub 9Hrs strategy

[biker jk]

mark o'brien broke the course record yesterday with a 6:43

Yep. Machine!

https://strava.app.link/aBTVn2ISRHb

Used to live up here for a while and get about in the bunches

Some joker has flagged his ride lol I think they are jealous.

I mean, he's got video passing under the finish line with a big frigging clock showing the time on it.

On another thread, he said he'd done a 6:45 ride time in a previous year but had a double puncture at Back of Falls and wasted time fixing the flats and ended up going 7:09 as a result.

I believe the issue is suggestions he had support riders who didn't ride the whole distance (they pulled turns for him then called it quits).

[warthog1]

Yep. Machine!

https://strava.app.link/aBTVn2ISRHb

Used to live up here for a while and get about in the bunches

Some joker has flagged his ride lol I think they are jealous.

I mean, he's got video passing under the finish line with a big frigging clock showing the time on it.

On another thread, he said he'd done a 6:45 ride time in a previous year but had a double puncture at Back of Falls and wasted time fixing the flats and ended up going 7:09 as a result.

I believe the issue is suggestions he had support riders who didn't ride the whole distance (they pulled turns for him then called it quits).

Have never done 3 peaks. Done the alpine classic 3 times though. Never done the flat parts early on by myself on those rides.
With over 4000m of climbing it is hard to see how he was towed up the hills.

I note these 2 comments;
Nearly 20mins off Dyball's record - Impressive!!
-----
Gerard O'Brien and Dyball had his whole team and team car for feeds

How accurate they are FIIK.

[jasonc]

Strava koms don't have a separate leaderboard for those who are on a group ride, a race etc. Your time is your time.

[warthog1]

He is a nice bloke who is down to Earth and friendly.
If he wants to have a crack at that good on him. Big watts for a long time for such a skinny rake!

[lone rider]

Yep. Machine!

https://strava.app.link/aBTVn2ISRHb

Used to live up here for a while and get about in the bunches

Some joker has flagged his ride lol I think they are jealous.

I mean, he's got video passing under the finish line with a big frigging clock showing the time on it.

On another thread, he said he'd done a 6:45 ride time in a previous year but had a double puncture at Back of Falls and wasted time fixing the flats and ended up going 7:09 as a result.

I believe the issue is suggestions he had support riders who didn't ride the whole distance (they pulled turns for him then called it quits).

I don't want to discredit the ride because it's an incredible effort, but it's a fact that this did happen. They started at Bright and stopped at Dinner Plain, so not part of the ride and it seems it was planned. Without the segment times to compare against Dyball's time it's hard to see where the time was gained because I can see that Hotham was nearly 3 mins slower. Looking at a few others who finished high the Falls descent looks to be pretty fast this year. Either he has smashed Back of Falls or made a lot of time on the 'flat' sections of the ride. Whatever, they are both incredible riders who probably deserved better careers.

[warthog1]

That comment I posted was probably sarcastic, pointing out the help then.
I guess Dyball would have had none having gone over Tawonga gap first.

[find_bruce]

I don't want to discredit the ride because it's an incredible effort, but it's a fact that this did happen. They started at Bright and stopped at Dinner Plain, so not part of the ride and it seems it was planned. Without the segment times to compare against Dyball's time it's hard to see where the time was gained because I can see that Hotham was nearly 3 mins slower. Looking at a few others who finished high the Falls descent looks to be pretty fast this year. Either he has smashed Back of Falls or made a lot of time on the 'flat' sections of the ride. Whatever, they are both incredible riders who probably deserved better careers.

Peaks has decent results with timing 2017 (search for Dyball) & 2024 & while segment times are presented slightly differently, the information is consistent.

On Strava, Dyball's ride is here, while O'Briens 2024 ride as previously linked is here. If you're a subscruber to Strava you may be able to compare the two efforts as someone did here for their 2019 rides

Going of the Peaks results, O'Brian was 0:02:17 behind Dyball at the top of Tawonga, gained 0:07:08 by by base of Hotham and 0:08:51 by the top. It was Hotham to Falls where O'Brien made the majority of the time & was 0:21:55 ahead by the base of back of falls but was a bit slower on that climb, with his lead dropping to 0:17:24, before smashing the last 10km where his average speed was 52.8 km/h

[warthog1]

I don't want to discredit the ride because it's an incredible effort, but it's a fact that this did happen. They started at Bright and stopped at Dinner Plain, so not part of the ride and it seems it was planned. Without the segment times to compare against Dyball's time it's hard to see where the time was gained because I can see that Hotham was nearly 3 mins slower. Looking at a few others who finished high the Falls descent looks to be pretty fast this year. Either he has smashed Back of Falls or made a lot of time on the 'flat' sections of the ride. Whatever, they are both incredible riders who probably deserved better careers.

Peaks has decent results with timing 2017 (search for Dyball) & 2024 & while segment times are presented slightly differently, the information is consistent.

On Strava, Dyball's ride is here, while O'Briens 2024 ride as previously linked is here. If you're a subscruber to Strava you may be able to compare the two efforts as someone did here for their 2019 rides

Going of the Peaks results, O'Brian was 0:02:17 behind Dyball at the top of Tawonga, gained 0:07:08 by by base of Hotham and 0:08:51 by the top. It was Hotham to Falls where O'Brien made the majority of the time & was 0:21:55 ahead by the base of back of falls but was a bit slower on that climb, with his lead dropping to 0:17:24, before smashing the last 10km where his average speed was 52.8 km/h

Thanks, so it would appear he made the time after the others had dropped out at dinner plain.

At the end of the day, he did the ride and did the time. The flagging of the ride does seem ridiculous
Had another look at it today, yep times are still "excluded".

[g-boaf]

Some joker has flagged his ride lol I think they are jealous.

I mean, he's got video passing under the finish line with a big frigging clock showing the time on it.

On another thread, he said he'd done a 6:45 ride time in a previous year but had a double puncture at Back of Falls and wasted time fixing the flats and ended up going 7:09 as a result.

I believe the issue is suggestions he had support riders who didn't ride the whole distance (they pulled turns for him then called it quits).

I don't want to discredit the ride because it's an incredible effort, but it's a fact that this did happen. They started at Bright and stopped at Dinner Plain, so not part of the ride and it seems it was planned. Without the segment times to compare against Dyball's time it's hard to see where the time was gained because I can see that Hotham was nearly 3 mins slower. Looking at a few others who finished high the Falls descent looks to be pretty fast this year. Either he has smashed Back of Falls or made a lot of time on the 'flat' sections of the ride. Whatever, they are both incredible riders who probably deserved better careers.

Dyball is a great rider - I see him a lot when I’m out riding. Last I saw him he seemed to be coaching another rider and doing an excellent job of it.

We can just give them both credit for doing great rides.

[jasonc]

The flagging of the ride does seem ridiculous
Had another look at it today, yep times are still "excluded".

Flagging of the ride is still BS. he was riding a bicycle. it was not a motorbike. it was not an ebike. it was not done in a car.

[g-boaf]

The flagging of the ride does seem ridiculous
Had another look at it today, yep times are still "excluded".

Flagging of the ride is still BS. he was riding a bicycle. it was not a motorbike. it was not an ebike. it was not done in a car.

It’s what bicycle riders do today and have done previously. Or they flag segments as dangerous- even uphill ones.

And Strava just goes “tick” and done all the time.

[Scott No Mates]

I caught up with two from our group yesterday. One was support crew for our riders, the other a rider who was a DNF after Say What corner.

It was hot to say the least. Our best rider completed just within 7-7.30 hours, several DNF's left shattered by the heat and exertion. A couple of others missed the cutoff but got over the line 15 minutes past the cutoff.

Whether race organisers should have looked at more refreshments etc due to the extreme conditions (as opposed to the extreme cold from a few years ago) is always a matter of conjecture and one of those lessons to be applied in the future.

[find_bruce]

I find it ironic that those who complain that O'Brien had help conveniently ignore that Dyball & O'Brien collaborated in 2019 - have a look at the comparison I linked above & you can clearly see the 4 occasions in which they waited for each other.

There was nothing wrong with it in 2019 & nothing wrong with it now

[g-boaf]

If it’s a cyclo-sportive then I don’t see the issue.

It happens overseas in places like Haute Route, just that the provision of food/water from team support people is only in certain allowed zones.

[Mr Purple]

Stupid behaviour to flag it as he was assisted.

There are some accepted ways you can be assisted to Strava KOM - a group ride, a fast mate, or a race are entirely legitimate. Motor pacing is also legitimate, but only if it's a car driven by someone you don't know.

I have one that involved throwing the Wahoo Bolt over a closed gate to finish. But in my defence the gate isn't usually closed. Not sure about that one though!

[find_bruce]

Not sure why the old link is dead, but the ride is up again at https://www.strava.com/activities/10947369623 with no flag, so hopefully the stupidity is over. Yes I know its the internet & people with 1 hand on the keyboard are rarely ever done.

[find_bruce]

I signed up for my first peaks challenge and have been training since October. I'd like to complete it within 9Hrrs. I've ridden the climbs individually and when analysing my climbing splits and w/kg against other riders'times, it puts me in a 9hrs duration.

I understand there'll be many factors on the day; however, when thinking about a strategy,
1. join the 8hr or 9hr group?
2. Which Nutrition plan to follow?
3. How to handle weather changes whilst minimising carry?

Any feedback is most welcome, thank you.

How did the OP go?

Imwit's post might have been missed in the noise, but I too would like to know how ComradeSpear went. I tried searching the results for ComradeSpear but it may not be his real name

[warthog1]

Not sure why the old link is dead, but the ride is up again at https://www.strava.com/activities/10947369623 with no flag, so hopefully the stupidity is over. Yes I know its the internet & people with 1 hand on the keyboard are rarely ever done.

Thanks FB.
I follow him and checked it on his profile in my feed.
Yep all the old comments are gone but it appears unflagged.
I asked them to unflag it but no word back from them. Just that my request went in.
I assume plenty of others reported the flag as stupid.

[Mr Purple]

Not sure why the old link is dead, but the ride is up again at https://www.strava.com/activities/10947369623 with no flag, so hopefully the stupidity is over. Yes I know its the internet & people with 1 hand on the keyboard are rarely ever done.

Thanks FB.
I follow him and checked it on his profile in my feed.
Yep all the old comments are gone but it appears unflagged.
I asked them to unflag it but no word back from them. Just that my request went in.
I assume plenty of others reported the flag as stupid.

He re-uploaded.

This has happened to me before after a local petulant manchild spite flagged several of my rides for the crime of beating him on a couple of segments. If someone flags you twice you can't unflag it, but you can delete the ride and reupload it. That's why the comments are gone.

You can also ban someone from looking at your account, take ten of his KOMs, and upload them all at once. Not that I'd do something that spiteful, of course...

[g-boaf]

Not sure why the old link is dead, but the ride is up again at https://www.strava.com/activities/10947369623 with no flag, so hopefully the stupidity is over. Yes I know its the internet & people with 1 hand on the keyboard are rarely ever done.

Thanks FB.
I follow him and checked it on his profile in my feed.
Yep all the old comments are gone but it appears unflagged.
I asked them to unflag it but no word back from them. Just that my request went in.
I assume plenty of others reported the flag as stupid.

Whoever flagged it maliciously should be booted off Strava.

[warthog1]

Not sure why the old link is dead, but the ride is up again at https://www.strava.com/activities/10947369623 with no flag, so hopefully the stupidity is over. Yes I know its the internet & people with 1 hand on the keyboard are rarely ever done.

Thanks FB.
I follow him and checked it on his profile in my feed.
Yep all the old comments are gone but it appears unflagged.
I asked them to unflag it but no word back from them. Just that my request went in.
I assume plenty of others reported the flag as stupid.

He re-uploaded.

This has happened to me before after a local petulant manchild spite flagged several of my rides for the crime of beating him on a couple of segments. If someone flags you twice you can't unflag it, but you can delete the ride and reupload it. That's why the comments are gone.

You can also ban someone from looking at your account, take ten of his KOMs, and upload them all at once. Not that I'd do something that spiteful, of course...

Thanks.

[warthog1]

Not sure why the old link is dead, but the ride is up again at https://www.strava.com/activities/10947369623 with no flag, so hopefully the stupidity is over. Yes I know its the internet & people with 1 hand on the keyboard are rarely ever done.

Thanks FB.
I follow him and checked it on his profile in my feed.
Yep all the old comments are gone but it appears unflagged.
I asked them to unflag it but no word back from them. Just that my request went in.
I assume plenty of others reported the flag as stupid.

Whoever flagged it maliciously should be booted off Strava.

Agreed.

[ComradeSpear]

I got 10:04 and happy I finished it given the conditions.

It was hot in the valley and baking up BoF with bodies literally strewn at the steepest section!

Need to add heat acclimatization to the training for 2025.

[jasonc]

Need to add heat acclimatization to the training for 2025.

I trained in Brisbane heat all summer before I did mine in whatever year it was. Sadly the heat up here, though consistent, was humid. The lack of humidity down there means I have to drink more to stay hydrated, which I didn't plan for

[g-boaf]

Need to add heat acclimatization to the training for 2025.

I trained in Brisbane heat all summer before I did mine in whatever year it was. Sadly the heat up here, though consistent, was humid. The lack of humidity down there means I have to drink more to stay hydrated, which I didn't plan for

I can vouch for the high temperatures and high altitudes I had last year in Haute Route Alps, you just sweat like hell, you burn quickly and you just have to keep drinking non-stop. I saw very fit riders looking seriously unwell near the end of stages, these are experienced folk who do that kind of riding all the time. I'm okay at riding in hot weather because I've done a lot of it in 40ºC but not at 1000m+ or more, that's a way different thing, I struggled.

Col du Telegraph is one of the easier climbs, but with a traffic jam (partial road collapse up near the top and traffic lights/contraflow setup) and all the cars and trucks sitting their cooking away with AC running, plus the 35ºC already ambient temperature - it's just brutal. It was quite a dry heat though, no humidity thankfully. I had on Col du Glandon measured 43ºC at some point according to the Garmin.

I can only guess the lot down at Peaks were facing similar.

I got 10:04 and happy I finished it given the conditions.

It was hot in the valley and baking up BoF with bodies literally strewn at the steepest section!

Need to add heat acclimatization to the training for 2025.

Good work, well done.